Pim meets Rhiex, then takes his drawer out of the goodness of her heart.

When

Shortly before Pim became a recruit.

Where

Guardhouse, Igen Weyr

OOC Date

Oh, the guardhouse: it isn't as bad as it used to be, but even with Rhiex's best efforts it never quite looks clean, either. Or tidy; there are entirely too many things scattered about for all of that. The guardsman is currently cleaning the duty desk rather than sitting behind it, pulling a Faranth-awful expression as he pulls one drawer out to find something that may or may not be rancid. He slams the drawer shut and takes a few step back, muttering under his breath. The rest of the guardhouse seems quiet — it's dinnertime for most of the crew, even for the brace of criminals hanging out in the brig in the back.

Pim is not, how you'd say, recruited quite yet. But her interest in becoming one of Igen's guards hasn't been exactly hush-hush with recent news from the Weyrwomen. The young woman's choice to visit the guardhouse at this time of evening is probably not an accident. "Well, you look thrilled. What'd the desk to do you anyway?" she has to wonder as she wanders up to give the poor desk a good, friendly pat.

Rhiex gives Pim a professional once-over — the guard-look, the one where he's trying to figure out if she's hiding any knives or other nasty surprises somewhere on her person. "If you would like to find out," he replies, his baritone touched with the vocal patterns of an Oldtimer and specifically the accent of High Reaches Hold of olde, "By all means, pull out the side drawer." He gestures expansively towards the offending piece of furniture.

The guardsman is given a similar once-over, blue eyes narrowing slightly as Pim considers him before there's a crooked grin forming slowly on her lips. "I think I'll take your word for it. Faranth knows what disgusting things are going on in here with all you men left to your own devices. But I can tell you that leaving it in there isn't going to help." And if any of them think women joining the guards means free maid services, she'd be happy to punch them in the junk. That's what her face is saying. Really.

"Well, then, by all means, give me a lovely demonstration of your womanhood and show me what I'm doing wrong." From anyone else it would be sarcastic, or demeaning, or condescending. From Rhiex it's polite and inquisitive, perhaps a little self-effacing. "Unless you were here to report something?" Ever-polite, eternally mannerful, he draws himself up and takes a precise step forwards as if ready to snap up hide and stylus.

By the looks of her, Pim is all ready to get pissy about him talking about her womanhood. But there's just something about the way he does it that sets her off guard. So she ends up with her arms crossed, hip cocked and her mouth half open like she's not sure what to say to him. Finally; "No, I'm not here for any report. Faranth. I'll be working here soon enough, same as you. Just you wait."

Rhiex has the faintest of a smile, with teeth just slightly visible. "It would be nice to work with guardswomen again. It would widen our reach tremendously within the bazaar — there are still places where it's sacriledge for a guardsman such as myself," he indicates himself with the slightest of nods and a flicker of fingers to his chest, "To tread. Places that could nonetheless be hotspots-in-waiting." If she was expecting a Nowtimer reaction, she should probably wait for Ladivos. Er. Well, maybe someone who can actually talk… Terrian, then, perhaps.

Clearly she was expecting a Nowtimer reaction. Maybe weyrfolk and crafters or whoever are more used to it by now, but Pim is neither of those and came in here all psyched up for something that Rhiex is not giving her. "Well," she says dumbly, looking past him as she gropes for something else to sink her proverbial claws into. "Yes. It would." Like it was totally her idea. Now she just looks annoyed that he's being so damned reasonable. "Who are you?"

She's not the only one that Rhiex isn't giving it to. Cough. What? Ahem. He is still a man, and therefore the slightest hint of amusement crosses his face as Pim is clearly sent grasping at his reaction. (Warning: it will be the only one of it's kind, alas. She'll have plenty to sink in by the almost-entirely nowtimer guard crew). "Oh, my manners." He shakes his head and steps forward to extend his hand: broad, calloused, capable, rough fingers and sunburnt backs. "Rhiex, guardsman of Igen Weyr. And you are…?"

Judging by the look she gives him, there's something untrustworthy about an unpredictable man. She eyes his hand, her arms still crossed, then her blue eyes are flickering back up to his face. Stupid, adorable face. It's almost as annoying as his manners. Almost reluctantly, she uncrosses her arms to accept it. There's nothing particularly feminine about her hand. Maybe not in quite as rough condition as his, but definitely not soft and unused. "Pim. Soon to be guardswoman of Igen Weyr." Recruit anyway.

Definitely untrustworthy. Unless you're getting mugged or something, then he's the man you want FOR SURE. Rhiex shakes her hand firmly — none of that limp-fingered mess some big men do with little girls — and inclines his chin in a cordial nod of greeting. His lips curl into an irrascible grin: "Recruit, you mean. It is good to meet you, Pim. Would you like a tour?" Is this man for real.

At this rate, Pim will just be annoyed by everything he does. If he was doing what she expected, she'd be annoyed because 'ugh, men.' Treating her like just another human being isn't really something she's conditioned to deal with so that's annoying, too. But she's Pim! She can adapt. That's why she's here. Her own handshake is firm and confident but not so much that she's trying to hurt him. That would be overkill. "Sure, why not. You can tell me what color curtains and rugs you're planning on putting in while you're at it." It's so dead pan that it's hard to tell if she's serious or not.

Rhiex could do a few things that wouldn't annoy Pim. But they'd be severely out of character. Maybe. Rhiex tilts his head at her, brows askew, his dumb face entirely a question unasked but with a puzzled smile lightening it. "I'm colorblind," he mildly states in reply, "So you probably wouldn't want me picking curtains and rugs."

"Well, thank Faranth's big golden ass that you have a flaw," says Pim like she actually is a little relieved by this news. Which might be weird. But that's okay by her. "Not sure you not being colorblind would make you anymore capable of decorating, anyway. So are you going to section us off like herdbeasts or do we have to sleep with you guys or do we have to shack up somewhere else entirely?" She makes it sounds like there's already a ton of ladies lining up for this here opportunity.

"It was a joke," Rhiex states to the air, his eyes going up to the ceiling and his lips curving — FOR ONCE — at someone else's expense. "But thank you for calling me flawless. That is a very nice compliment, miss Pim." Why does he have to be so damned EARNEST? The guardsman shakes his head at her barrage of questions and points upwards. "We're rennovating upstairs for proper barracksing, so I would imagine we could find a way to cordone off a private area for guardswomen."

Pim might suddenly look like she wants to punch Rhiex in the face. Not the chest or shoulder or anything. The face. But she doesn't. Because she's such a nice person. Also, she wants this job. She can wait until after she gets it to assault him. "Why? Do you think we need to be kept separate from the rest of the guards?"

"No," Rhiex replies wryly, "I think we need to be kept separate from you. Have you seen some of the recruits, here? They wouldn't know what to do if they actually saw a real pair of breasts that they didn't have to pay for and that they couldn't pay any amount to touch." His voice is a little disgusted by the end of that commentary.

"Maybe you shouldn't have guards that you can't trust with breasts, hmm?" Pim eyes Rhiex a little less professionally, a little more like she's some crude gross dude and he's a pretty girl. "What about you, handsome? How do you feel about breasts? I doubt you have to pay to touch them, anyway. You have touched them, right?"

Rhiex isn't freaked out. It's not the first time a girl's looked at him like he's a sweet little piece of ass. :( "As an on-duty guard, I don't think my preferences towards the feminine physique are necessarily appropriate conversational topics." His voice is amused, nonetheless. "I assure you my upbringing has not been delinquent inasfar as physical acts of congress, in case you were concerned for my well-being, and thank you for the worry if so." Sometimes it's hard to tell if he's joking or not.

"Oh, so this is just some on-duty act, then? That makes more sense." Oh, yeah. Pim's totally got him figure out now. Well, she thinks she does. And that's practically the same thing. "Ugh, I don't care about you or your stupid dick." She gives him a look that's so different from how she was just looking at him that something has to be an act. She moves around to the desk and opens the drawer he'd been complaining about when she first came in. She mutters something like 'sweet baby Faranth' but it doesn't stop her from trying to detach the drawer entirely from the desk. Which is preferable to touching whatever's in there.

"Act?" Rhiex turns his puzzled-look onto Pim again. His eyebrows raise, first at her impugning his genitalia and then her braving the desk; at this rate they are going to meld with his HAIRLINE. "A brave soul," he observes. The drawer probably does detatch completely, if she knows the catch of it. "I think that was someone's dinner," dubious — maybe a few sevendays ago.

Pim doesn't try explaining herself to him. If he can't figure it out, that's not her fault. Also, more realistically, she's a little distracted by the reeking drawer. When she finally manages to detach it, she makes a triumphant sound. And then she chokes on it because inhaling whatever's in there isn't really in anyone's best interest. Coughing, "No more dinners in the desk! I'm taking this. You enjoy your boring night." With the drawer confiscated, Pim turns to start making her way right on out.

"Uh," For the first time Rhiex looks startled — but he doesn't quite move to STOP her, either. "Okay." Then he calls after her: "It was nice to meet you, miss Pim!" His lips may even sketch out a half-smile, terribly amused as the hilarity of the situation finally descends upon him.